Latch



Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

c i s s fr YH (No Model.) j 2 sheets-sheet 2.

I. J GRAY,

LATGH.

No. 508,541. Patented Nov. 14,1893.

lulll 11.11.11.111 ik n n\\\\\\\\\ UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC J. GRAY, on BELOIT, KANSAS;

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,541, dated November 14, 1893.

- Application filed November 14,1892. Serial No. 451,956. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LISAAC J. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Mitchell and State of Kansas, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Latches for Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to befa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such asgwill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in latches for doors, and among the objects sought to be attained are to provide a combined rim and mortise latch adapted for quick and easy attachment to a door, without necessitating undue mortising of said door which tends to weaken the same; also, to provide a combined rim and` mortise latch which is extremely simple in construction, very light in weight yet possessing great strength, requiring but few parts, and which is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture; also, to provide an improved construction of latch-bolt for use in connection with my' latch, whereby the said bolt will be enabled to engage the usual keeper on the door frame without requiring any violent exertion or slamming of the door to effeet said engagement as is ordinarily the casev with the usual style of latch-bolt; also, to provide a latch-bolt which is-not liable to catch knob-spindlesome distance from theV edge of the door without materially increasing the cost of the device,and with the above and other objects in view. The invention consists in the construction,arrangement and combination of parts, all as hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawingsz-Figure 1 isan elevation of a portion of adoor. and door-frameshowing myimproved latch in position. Fig. 2 1s an elevation showing the knob and escutcheon and covering plate removedto show the relative position of the parts of the latch. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are a side view and plan view respectively of a slightly modif, to the door.

fled construction of latch-bolt and showing its connection with the knob-spindle. Fig. 6 is a side view showing still another modified construction of latch-bolt. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation similar to Fig. l, showing the keeper and guides for the latch-bolt extended to allow of a key-operated bolt being applied to the latch.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. l, 2, and 3, A indicates an ordinary knob-spindle which passes through the door B, and is provided at each end with a knob C.

In one face of the door I provide a mortise or recess a, which receives in the portion a thereof a crank arm D secured to the knobspindle, and is adapted to permit said arm to rock or partly turn therein when said spindle is turned in the operation of unlatching the door, the rear wall a2 of said mortise serving to limit the movement of the arm D in either direction. The door is also provided with deeper recessed portions b b which are of suflcient depth and length to receive the latchbolt presently described and permit of its reciprocating movements.

F indicates a plate which partly covers the recess a, and is removably secured by screws Said plate F at one end is bent at right angles which bent portionmay be secured by screws to the edge ofthe door and said portion is provided with a slot oi' opening f through which the latch-bolt projects and is adapted to reciprocate. The plate F may if desired be inserted in a shallow recess f2 in the face of the door so as to be flush therewith when in position and thusoffer no obstacle to the ready cleaning of thefdoor.

G indicates my improved latch-bolt and in constructing the same I make it entirely of metal and bend (or otherwise) the same to the proper shape. This latch-bolt is, as shown, provided with the rounded portion g, which toward the forward end of the boltv is broadened into a fiat portion g which is bent to form the angular portion g2, the rounded nose g3, the bearing portion g4, the rounded nose g5, and the horizontal portion g6 parallel to the portion g, and somewhat longer than the latter. In providing the bearing portion g4, I make the same of considerable length as compared with the bearing face of the ordinary latchbolt, said portion being of such length as to extend the entire thickness of the door or nearly so. Furthermore I give to said portion an inclination with respect to the portion g6 whereby the angle formed between said portions g1 gG will approach a right angle. This is an important feature in the construction of the latch-boltsince by the described ineline given to the bearing portion g4 the usual friction between the keeper and the bearing face of the bolt when the door is closed is avoided or at least reduced to a minimum, and the closing and latehing of the door can be effected very easily without requiring violent effort or slamming of the same to effect the desired object.

By constructing the latch-bolt of one piece of metal and in the shape described the same will be very light in weight and yet possessing sufficient strength for ordinary uses. This construction also is very inexpensive and I may give the portion g6 any desired length to permit the placing of the knob spindle at some distance from the edge of the door to avoid injury tothe fingers during the closing of the door, and without materially increasing the cost of the latch.

The latch-bolt is held in place and guided in its movements by two guides H H which are secured intermediate the plate F and the door by means of the securing screws f, which pass through openings 7L, in said guides. The guide H is provided witlri` the vertically bent portion h havingan opening h2 through which passes the rounded portion g of the latchbolt, and by means of a coiled spring I placed around said portion g and bearing at its ends against the portion hf and portion g2 of the bolt, the latter is normally pressed outwardly to cause it to engage beneath the keeper I'.

Integral with the portion g6 of the `latchbolt at its inner end is a pin or studj, projee-ting upwardly, which pin or stud rides in a slot j formed in one end of an arm J whose opposite end is perforated to receive a pin or stud jg formed on the outer end of the crankarm D secured rigidly to the knob-spindle. By this construction it will be seen that when a knob is turned the crank-arm D will be turned partially, causing the latch-bolt to be drawn inwardly out of engagement with the keeper I', and when the knob is released the coiled spring causes thelatch-bolt to be again projected to engage the keeper. d

By reason of the slotj in arm J, the door may be closed without necessitating a partial turning of the knob and avoiding anyinjury to the parts, which would result were there no slot in arm J but merely a perforation for the pinj. Should the latter construction eX- ist and the arm J should get in the same longitudinal plane as the latch-bolt it will be seen that if it is attempted to close the door a breakage or bending of the parts of the device would occur unless the knob is turned. If desired the slot j may be formed in the latch-bolt and the pinj, provided on the arm J to attain the desired result.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I show a slightly modified construction of latch-bolt, more especially adapted for cupboard doors where a short latch is desirable. In this construction the rear end of the portion gG of the latchis provided with a slot g7 through which is adapted to loosely pass the knob-spindle, and said portion g6 is also provided intermediate its ends with the downwardlyprojecting stud or pill j, which rides in a slotj in the arm J, which latter, owing to the position of the pin j is somewhat longer than the arm .I hereinbefore described. The opposite end of the arm .I is perforated to receive the pin on the crank arm D attached to the knob-spindle. The principle of construction and operation of the form of latch is similar to that first described.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show still another modified construction of latch-bolt. In this construction the guides II H are secured rigidly to each other by the connecting strip H2 and the guide H has the upwardly-bent end h2 against which bears one end of the coiled spring which is located in a slot g9 formed in the portion Q6 of the latch-bolt and the opposite end of said spring bears against the downwardly-bent lip gx of thelatch-bolt, the rounded portion g, being here dispensed with.

If it be desired to employ a key-operated bolt in connection with any of the before-de scribed latches I extend the guides and the keeper as shown in Fig. 8 and employ the sliding bolt K adapted to be guided by said guides, and to engage the keeper, and said bolt K may be operated by a key in the usual manner through the medium of any preferred means, or, said bolt K may be used as a thumbbolt without a key if desired.

Having now described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a knob spindle, of a latch bolt constructed to form the horizontal portion g, the vertical portion g2, inclined bearing portion g4, and horizontal portion g, a pin or stud on the latter portion, an arm provided with a slot at one end in which said pin or stud is slidingly mounted, a crank arm secured at one end to the knob spindle and pivotally connected at its opposite end to the aforesaid arm, a guide for guiding the latch bolt in its reciprocating movements, and a coiled spring encircling the portion g of the latch bolt and bearingagainst the guide and portion g2, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a door, and a knob spindle working therein, of a latch bolt constructed to form the horizontal portion g, the vertical portion g2, inclined portion g4, and horizontal portion gs, a pin or stud on the latter portion, an arm provided with a slot in which said pin or stud is sliding-ly mounted, a crank arm secured at one end to the knob spindle and pivotally connected at its opposite ICO l'IO

3. As an improved article of manufacture,

the herein described latch bolt consisting of the horizontally-arranged portion g, the portion g2 arranged vertically with relation to the portion g, and extending below the plane of the latter, the broadened bearing portion g4 arranged at an incline and extending above the plane of portion g, and the broadened portion g6 arranged horizontally above and parallel to the said portion g, said latch-bolt being provided with a rounded nose g5 at the junction of the portions g4 and g, as and for the purpose specied.

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnature in s presence of two witnesses.

IsAAo J. GRAY.

Witnesses:

A. D. MOON, M. S.A'rwooD. 

